The present invention relates to prefabricated column assembly systems and in particular to prefabricated exterior column assembly systems which are light-weight and erected by hand without the use of lifting devices.
Exterior enclosure systems such as fences generally include a plurality of spaced apart support posts or columns which are interconnected by fence panels. Fence support columns typically include either a single pipe support as commonly used with chain-link fence fabric and with prefabricated panel enclosure systems as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/790,496 filed Nov. 12, 1991, or masonry columns made of materials such as brick, stone or concrete. While pipe support posts offer the advantages of being easily and quickly installed by hand with a minimum amount of labor and without the need for any lifting devices such as cranes or hoists, masonry wall enclosure systems require a large amount of time and labor to construct and generally are very heavy requiring substantial footings to provide support for the masonry columns. While masonry columns are often generally more expensive to install as part of an exterior enclosure system, masonry columns are often preferred as they provide a more pleasing aesthetic appearance than pipe support posts and are generally more stable. There has therefore been a need for a wall enclosure support column which provides the aesthetic and stability advantages of masonry columns, but which also provides the advantages of being light-weight and prefabricated so that the enclosure support column may be easily and quickly installed by hand with a minimum amount of labor.